<---- starting with that guy because this is not judging anyone. I am genuinely curious, so if both Santa and Non-Santa people can be nice, it would be appreciated.

I am always interested in the Santa threads, because, like anything else in this parenthood gig, it is really interesting for me to try to understand the perspective of others. I love to people watch, so I guess reading the "hot button" topics on parenting forums is a version of people watching.

The one thing that always intrigues me is the comment that people want their kids to know that the presents come from their parents versus coming from Santa. I don't understand this and I want to try. I don't want to get into it too much. I worry that anything I type here might be taken wrong, and I mean no disrespect, in any way. I am honestly trying to understand. Do Santa or don't do Santa, own it, but please, appease my curiosity.

Why is it important to you, as a parent, to get the credit for the presents?

This is not the reason we don't do Santa. It is because we dont like lying to our children. I know most people do just fine with the transition from believing to knowing the truth, but I didn't. I was older - 10 or 11 - and I wanted to still believe, so I did. But when it finally dawned on me that it couldn't possibly be true, I was embarrassed that my parents had let me believe for so long. I was angry that the magic wasn't real. Yeah...it sounds so silly now but I truly cried over it. And I don't want my kids to go trough that. When a friend of mine from church told her oldest son the truth, he asked if Jesus was also fake. Eek! So that just cemented our choice.

My dh always knew the truth even though his parents thought he believed. But he says it was always exciting to get presents, no matter who he thought they were from. So for those reasons, we don't do Santa.

Plus, as Christians, It helps us to focus on the real reason for the season.

__________________Busy homeschooling mommy to Free-rangeEva ('02) and Wesley ('04)Nurturing my faith in Christand nervous to be again after 9 years!Stay cute and organized with Thirty-One!